ON LOVE; PART MLIX
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GoodWill IS Love in Action
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FIRST IS THE GREAT COMMANDMENTS: “The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31).
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WHAT THEN IS LOVE? In a general sense love is benevolence, good will; that disposition of heart which inclines men to think favorably of their fellow men, and to do them good. In a theological sense, it includes supreme love to God, and universal good will to men. While this IS from an older definition of Charity, which IS rendered in the King James Bible from the same Greek word agape which IS generally rendered as Love, we should amend our own definition here to include the idea that in the reality of Love a man will accord to ALL men ALL things that he would accord to himself and to say that Love IS our thoughts and attitude of the equality of ALL men regardless of their outward nature or appearance…that ALL ARE equally children of Our One God
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PLUS THE EVER IMPORTANT AND HIGH IDEAL TAUGHT TO US BY THE CHRIST: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them” (Matthew 7:12).
We ended the last essay again with the Parable of the Growing Seed which we see in terms of measure. If we can see how that the seed that IS cast IS the Soul, the Christ Within, which IS ‘placed’ into the body of a man in this Earth, we can then better understand the idea of growth according to the reality of measure. As we said in the last essay, the Soul IS ever prompting the man in the world and when we can understand the Unity of the Kingdom Within, the God Within and the Soul….that these ARE ALL essentially the same, we can then better understand the parable’s intent. It IS the Christ Within, the Soul, that grows in the Life of the man and we should understand here that it IS the expression of the Christ Within by the man in the world that IS the reference.
The man himself IS yet asleep and as he goes through his own carnal Life, he begins to strive toward the Truth that IS God. Up to this point of striving he DOES “rise night and day” to the sameness of his Earthly Life but, at the point of striving he DOES notice that “the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how“. This IS the essence of Repentance, this IS the very process by which a man changes his focus from the things of the self to the things of God. The rest of the parable IS a description of the idea of measure; here the man DOES “bringeth forth fruit” and in the analogy of the growth of corn we should see the measure of that fruit as “first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear“. And, as with the growing of corn, it IS when one has “the full corn in the ear” that his work of Redemption IS done and in this he has the realization of the fullness of the Kingdom of God. Repeating the parable:
“So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come” (Mark 4:26-29).
There ARE likely many different interpretations of this parable and while our own IS NOT the final word, we should be sure to understand that the most accurate way to view this, and ALL of Jesus’ parables, IS from a spiritual perspective. We should see this parable as the first in a series of parables that the Apostle Mark presents to us regarding the nature of the Kingdom of God and while most ALL interpretations see this Kingdom as a place, we see it in Jesus’ own terms saying that “the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21). It IS important to understand the idea of the Kingdom Within as the Master presents this and we should understand here that there IS a logic to this ALL: there IS a Christ Within and His place IS in His Kingdom and it IS the realization of this Truth that IS the subject of the trifecta which we repeat again:
- If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free“ (John 8:31-32).
- “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).
- “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me” (John 14:21-24).
We should understand here that the Presence of God that IS stated in Jesus’ words as “we will come unto him, and make our abode with him” involves ONLY the realization of His presence, a realization that comes to the man who “hath my commandments, and keepeth them“. We should understand as well how that the logic of Jesus’ ideas works across ALL parts of the trifecta; that IS, if through keeping His words we have realization of His Presence, we then also have realization of His Kingdom and realization of the eternal Truth that can make one free. And, when we look at the full context of His teachings, we can also see how that the idea of measure works.
This measure that IS depicted for us in the Parable of the Growing Seed and in the foregoing Parable of the Sower IS our assurance that “with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you” (Mark 4:24). We should see here that the measure of revelation and realization that one receives IS the result of the measure of striving to keep His words. While this IS NOT stated specifically, and while the overall idea is clouded by the use of the Greek word akouo which IS rendered as hearing, we should be able to see the underlying message. In both the parables referenced here we should see how that the Master shows us the effect of the measure as He relates the ideas of His Presence, His Kingdom and the Truth to bearing fruit. It IS fruit that the man who keeps His words will bear, “some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred” (Mark 4:20), and it IS fruit that IS the growth of the Kingdom of God Within: “first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear“. And it IS fruit that the Apostle Paul shows us in our selection from Galatians which we repeat again:
“For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts” (Galatians 5:17-24).
We must understand that it IS one’s realization of “the fruit of the Spirit” and it IS one’s realization of the Kingdom of God that IS the central point in these ideas. The parabolic view of the growth of the Kingdom of God IS also given to us in the next parable in Mark’s version of Jesus’ words, the Parable of the Mustard Seed. Here the Kingdom grows from the a seed that “is less than all the seeds that be in the earth” and the fruit of this seed IS the mustard tree which Jesus tells us: “becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it” (Mark 4:31, 32). With this view of the Kingdom’s growth we should be able to see how that the Parable of the Growing Seed intertwines with the Parable of the Mustard seed as well as the Parable of the Sower.
In the combination of the Master’s words here we should understand the dynamics involved and NOT see these as individual thoughts on the Kingdom nor on the fruit that represents this in the Life of a man in this world. We also need to add the missing ingredient which IS the Truth of the Christ Within, the Soul, which DOES NOT change and IS ever bearing fruit in its own domain if we can use the word here. The idea of growth must be seen in regard to the heart, to the consciousness of the man in this world; it IS this consciousness that IS ever controlled by input from either the world, producing carnal thoughts and attitudes which we can see as “the works of the flesh“; OR it IS controlled by the Soul, the Christ and God Within, producing thoughts and attitudes that ARE some measure of “the fruit of the Spirit“.
The growth of the Kingdom IS NOT then the growth of the Soul or the Christ Within per se; it IS rather the growth of the influence of the Soul on the heart….on the Life of the man in this world. This influence IS measured on the same scale as the measure of the Presence of God, the Truth that frees and the Kingdom of God which come to men through keeping His words according to the trifecta. ALL of these ideas speak of the same thing: the change in the focus of the Life of a man from the self and the things of the self onto the things of God. Whether we see these ideas in terms of the trifecta, or in terms of fruit, or in terms of the mustard tree, ALL have the same essential meaning. There IS NO difference between Jesus saying that the man whose focus IS turned to God will bear fruit as “first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear” or that this man will “bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred” (Mark 4:20).
While parables DO hide the essential Truth, they hide it ONLY from the man who DOES NOT Truly seek God and we should understand that it IS in Truly seeking God, in Truly striving to keep His words, that a man can come to KNOW some measure of this essential Truth. And even as men who may NOT be Truly seeking or striving we ARE NOT left to guess and wonder; the Master gives us enough interpretive information through those parables that He explains and He gives us enough clear direction as we find in the trifecta, to allow most everyman to at least glimpse some part of the Truth. This glimpse IS hindered however by much of the doctrinal approach to God; this glimpse becomes overwhelmed by the authoritative pronouncements of those who devise and teach doctrines.
In this we should try to understand that these authoritative pronouncements take the place of the Master’s Truths and the Truths espoused by His apostles and, while this may seem a harsh indictment of the doctrinal churches, it IS nonetheless a matter of fact. As long as the primary focus of the doctrines of men ARE the spiritual food that nurtures men, few will look past the written and spoken ideas of those who have taken and who continue to take authority for the spiritual success of others. And we should not think here that we ARE citing any personal agenda in this method of indoctrination and teaching; to be sure, the vast majority of the preachers and pastors and priests that DO such teaching ARE well meaning believers in what it IS that they teach.
We should note here that today’s preachers and pastors and priests from most every denomination and sect of Christianity were themselves indoctrinated and taught by others before them; and they too by others before them. Millions upon millions of men, billions perhaps, hold their own sense of religion and doctrine as the Truth and few there ARE who ARE willing to stand before them; few there ARE who ARE willing to outwardly disagree with what IS seen by those who have taken such authority as the wisdom of the ages. And perhaps this is the deeper point to Jesus words on the strait gate, can we see how that Jesus’ words saying “many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able” (Luke 13:24) ARE intended to separate the True seeker of His Truth from ALL others?
And can we see the same point in Matthew’s version of this idea of the “strait gate” the gate that leads to His Kingdom and which IS ONLY accessible to the man who will keep His words according to the trifecta. Matthew tells us the Master’s words as: “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13-14). If we can see how that the Greek word stenos that IS rendered as strait IS defined as narrow and that the word thlibo that IS rendered as narrow should be seen in terms of difficulty, we can better understand the Master’s point.
We should note here that there ARE several New Testament translations that DO show us these ideas of the narrow and the difficult Way to the Kingdom and when we combine this idea with the words of the trifecta we can see what that narrowness and what that difficulty actually ARE….keeping His words. Doctrine however DO NOT see this nor DO they teach the basic Truth of Jesus’ words and here we repeat that millions upon millions, billions perhaps, hold their own sense of religion and doctrine as the Truth without ever seeking to understand the reality of the Master’s Truths. It IS the Master’s Truths that ARE set aside by the doctrines of men and perhaps in this we can see the basic conundrum that the masses face yet today. But Jesus IS clear as He continues His dialog that closes out the Sermon on the Mount according to Matthew; Jesus shows us those who will teach doctrines versus Truth and He shows us in a very clear parable the state of men who DO NOT keep His words. we read:
“Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it” (Matthew 7:13-27)
We will continue with our thoughts in the next post.
| Aspect |
Potency |
Aspect of Man |
In Relation to the Great Invocation |
In relation to the Christ |
|
GOD, The Father |
Will or Power |
Spirit or Life |
Center where the Will of God IS KNOWN |
Life |
|
Son, The Christ |
Love and Wisdom |
Soul or Christ Within |
Heart of God |
Truth |
|
Holy Spirit |
Light or Activity |
Life Within |
Mind of God |
Way |
Note on the Quote of the Day
This daily blog also has a Quote of the Day which may not be in any way related to the essay. Many of these will be from the Bible and some just prayers or meditations that may have an influence on you and are in line with the subject matter of this blog. As the quote will change daily and will not store with the post, it is repeated in this section with the book reference and comment.
This daily blog also has a Quote of the Day which may not be in any way related to the essay. Many of these will be from the Bible and some just prayers or meditations that may have an influence on you and are in line with the subject matter of this blog. As the quote will change daily and will not store with the post, it is repeated in this section with the book reference and comment.
We repeat here a Quote of the Day that we spent much time with over the course of our essays. In this affirmation we find the Truth of discipleship as we have been ever been expressing and here we can relate our themes of the last few days; “take no thought” for the things of the world and that we approach the Kingdom and discipleship in the nature of the little child, in humbleness, meekness, unashamed in any way and unassuming. The message that this imparts for us today IS that it IS the Soul that is at work in the world of men as it expresses to some degree the purpose, power and the will through Life in this world. These words are from a meditation offered to his students by our Tibetan brother and in which we find greater understanding of the message of the Master. This IS Truly the way of the disciple.
